


Gotta Dance

by WolfAndHound_Archivist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Humor, Marauders' Era, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-05
Updated: 2005-05-07
Packaged: 2018-05-18 09:52:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5924032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WolfAndHound_Archivist/pseuds/WolfAndHound_Archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>James needs Arthur Murray, but settles for Sirius Black.  Complications arise.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Lassenia, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Wolf and Hound](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Wolf_and_Hound), which was created to make stories posted to the Sirius_Black_and_Remus_Lupin Yahoo! mailing list easier to find. However, even though I still love the fandom, I am no longer active in it and do not have the time to maintain it. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in December 2015. I posted an announcement with Open Doors, but we may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on the [Wolf and Hound collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/wolfandhound/profile).

Sirius Black floated in the drugged limbo between sleep and wakefulness. His brain, working in fits and starts, began sending insistent, but fuzzy signals about the impending first class of the day, and then clicked into neutral once his internal calendar indicated that it was Saturday. Sirius drifted, dimly recognizing that the sheets next to him were still warm, but the slim, deceptively strong body that had provided that heat was gone. 'Where was he going? Shower? Breakfast?' The effort to kick-start his brain was too much to handle, so Sirius sank back towards slumber.

Shshshshshsh, whispered the curtains as they were eased back. A messy black head poked itself in to regard the still form beneath the covers. "Sirius! Wake up! I need your help!"

One eye opened to spear James Potter with a baleful stare. "Shut up, Prongs. I'm trying to sleep."

"Pleeease…You can't…Not nooow. " James whined. 

"Go talk to Peter." Sirius said with finality, whining having little effect on him at this time of day.

"He's still in hospital with the flu, remember? Besides, he can't help me."

"Later." Unfortunately for the drowsy Sirius, he had completely misread the level of James' desperate insistence. This became apparent in the next moment when James jumped onto the bed, straddled Sirius and began shaking him vigorously by the shoulders.

"You're my best friend! You have to help me!"

"Oh, for God's sake, what's your problem?" Sirius glared, fully awake.

Now that James had finally gotten his friend's attention, he stopped flailing the bed with Sirius' upper body. "It's about the May Dance. I have to dance at it."

Sirius glare melted into perplexity. "James, am I missing something or have I not seen you dance at other…hmm, what do you call them? Oh, yes. Dances!"

"No," James moaned. "You don't understand. The Quidditch Captains and their dates are supposed to open the dance with real dancing. We have to waltz. I don't know how! I need someone to teach me. Your mum made you take lessons when you were a kid, right? Wanted you to be well-bred or have polish or something?" 

"The words she used were 'well-rounded' and 'panache,' you dolt. Yes, she insisted that her children know how to handle various social situations adeptly and skillfully. My reputation to the contrary, I can be adept and skillful in various social situations. I know how to waltz."

James looked so miserable that Sirius had to grin. "Lily knows how to dance, too. I'm sure she'd be thrilled to help you." Sirius made a move to twist out from under James, who promptly grabbed him and pushed him back down on the mattress. James leaned forward, his knees on either side of Sirius’ slim hips, his hands on either side of the sleep-mussed head, pinning the slender wrists. His expression a mingling of earnestness and distress, James tried to explain.

"Just listen, will you? I'd ask Lily, except she's a little peeved with me right now, since I got her involved with that itchy underwear hex. How was I to know that wearing hex-blocking underwear seems to be a Slytherin specialty?’

“Oh, yes,” Sirius mused. “She did seem rather put out with you yesterday. Exactly what happened with that whole incident?”

“The hex bounced off Crabbe and hit her. And now she’s developed a rash. She blames me.” James finished his tale of woe with a final bit of self-pitying mumbling.

“A rash?” The stormy gray eyes looking up at James lit up with wicked glee. Sirius was generally quite skilled at keeping a straight face when his health and well-being depended on it, but this news pushed him beyond his limits. He started chuckling. “A spreading, red, itchy, biblical plague type of rash?” The chuckles exploded into raucous laughter.

“Shut up!” James cried, his face inches away from the flushed, laughing visage of his best friend. “Oh, God, Sirius, you **cannot** mention this to her! I’m in enough trouble already! And she expects me to know what I’m doing on the dance floor or else she'll **really** be pissed at me."

A low, dangerous snarl interrupted them. "If you don't unhand my boyfriend, **I'll** really be pissed at you, and I promise it won't be pretty."

"Moony!" James guiltily jumped off the bed. "I wasn't…I was just… " He frowned. "Oh, don't get all wolfy with me. I was just trying to wake him up so he'd pay attention."

Remus grinned. "Yes, well, you're going about it all wrong. I can tell you some fool-proof ways of arousing even the sleepiest Sirius."

"Remus," Sirius growled warningly, shooting the werewolf a scowl. He turned his attention back to James. "Alright, I promise, I won’t say anything to Lily about the rash.” He rubbed a hand across his face, vainly trying to muffle another burst of snickering. “So, when did you find out about this waltz business?"

"McGonagal mentioned it last night. I was going to ask you then, but when I got back here you were, um, you know, occupied." Two sets of brows raised, glowing hazel eyes and frosty gray eyes impaling him with almost identical stares.

"James, were you spying on us?" Remus asked slowly.

“NO! I noticed that Sirius' curtains were closed and yours were open, so I assumed you were both in there." A blush swept up James' face, making his discomfort all the more evident.

His friends snickered. ""Isn't he cute when he's embarrassed?" Sirius asked.

"He's very fetching."

With an exasperated sigh, James flung himself on Sirius' mercy. "Will you help me or not?"

"Of course I'll help you. We'll find an empty classroom and start this afternoon. You'll need the practice if you're going to avoid breaking all of Lily's toes."

“Thank you! I’m yours forever. Anything I can give you is yours, just ask…”

~ **~** ~ **~** ~ **~** ~ **~** ~

Later that afternoon James entered an empty classroom on the fifth floor. Sirius was already there and had spent his time productively moving the furniture out of the way. James was happy to see that he was alone. It was embarrassing enough asking your best friend to teach you how to dance; it would be worse if Remus was hanging around watching. 

Sirius had his portable melodium with him. Grinning, he flashed a sound globe at James. "Here we go. I managed to snag something for practice. ‘Favorite Wizard Waltzes’ as performed by the London Enchanted Symphonia." James snorted. He knew waltzes were not in Sirius' music collection. However, his gray-eyed friend had a positive genius when it came to scrounging urgent necessities. James had ceased to be surprised at Sirius' ability to get his hands on whatever the Marauders needed. Sirius popped the globe into the melodium and commanded “Ready.” 

Sirius approached him and outlined his lesson plan. "We'll start by walking through this a few times without music so you get familiar with the pattern. I'll show you what you're supposed to do, we'll practice that a few times and then we'll go through it with me as your partner. Then we'll try it with music. Now, let me show you where your hands go. You'll take Lily's right hand in your left, and place your right hand on her waist like this. She’ll put her left hand on your shoulder like so… and now we’re ready."

James nodded, disturbed to realize that his hands were sweating. Sirius stood in front of him and, taking one of James' hands in his, placed it on his waist. He lightly grasped James other hand, raising their arms out to the side. He studiously ignored the clamminess. 

"Okay. Keep your hands in position." Sirius ordered, stepping out of James' grasp and moving to stand next to him. 

"I feel like an idiot," James mumbled.

Sirius raised his hands in the air, holding onto his own imaginary partner. "We both look rather silly, but it'll be easier for you to copy me as I lead, rather than me trying to teach you the mirror image of what you’re supposed to be doing." He looked questioningly at James. "Does that make sense?"

James nodded, still somewhat glum. 

"It could be worse," Sirius said brightly. "We could have a bunch of Slytherins watching us."

James was forced to laugh at the idea of how ridiculous the two of them looked, somewhat like identical raven-haired scarecrows.

After several slow repetitions of the dance, Sirius judged James ready for a live partner. Mentally Sirius crossed his fingers, hoping to escape the rest of the lesson uninjured. What Sirius had never been able to understand was how someone so agile and athletic on the Quidditch field could be so unbelievably clumsy on the ground. James generally had trouble walking through doorways without cracking an elbow or stubbing his toes on the doorframe. And when he'd been out late with Lily, his friends always knew how late because he was incapable of slipping silently into their darkened room. Sooner or later he'd thud into a piece of furniture or stumble over himself and wake everyone else up. Perhaps Lily could find a charm to protect her feet from harm when James stepped on them.

After a few run-throughs, with only two or three squashed toes screaming in indignation, Sirius judged that James was ready for the music. James, who had calmed down as he mastered the steps of the dance, again felt his nervousness rise. He had been concentrating on his own motion, but gradually the closeness of Sirius’ body began to intrude on his thoughts. It seemed odd to look at a partner straight in the eye, rather than having to glance down. And Sirius felt different, all angles and muscle, instead of curves and softness. Sirius took James' hand in his own and said, "Ready?"

James nodded. “Play!” Sirius said forcefully at the melodium. The two boys advanced across the floor, black-haired twins with quite visible differences. One moved naturally to the sweeping strains of the music, while the other's steps seemed mechanical. But, James managed to move through the dance with only a few missteps.

"Good!" Sirius praised, as they completed their first dance. "You need to loosen up a bit more. You’re obviously counting out your steps in your head, but a little more practice will take care of that. Really, you're doing fine. "

"Rather a short dance, isn't it?" James inquired. 

"What we've done is the basic pattern. It's repeated over and over. Since you're leading you get to move your partner wherever you want to go on the dance floor."

"How will I know when to stop?"

Sirius’ eyes closed briefly as he suppressed a sigh. He opened them, fixing James with a look of mingled pity and exasperation. "My general rule has always been that the dance is over when the music stops."

James rolled his eyes. "Alright, smart ass. Let's try again."

Eventually, James became more comfortable connecting the tempo of the music to the movements of their bodies. He found that he could control their direction by the motion of his body combined with the pressure of his hands. It felt good. This was almost as good as flying. In fact, moving in perfect harmony with another person’s body was quite thrilling, in its own way. He discovered that he enjoyed sweeping across the floor, drawing Sirius along with him. They complimented each other, both tall and dark and athletic. He liked that they shared the same space, moved together so effortlessly. He liked the feel of his arm around the slender waist, and the pressure of Sirius' hand on his own shoulder. James smiled at his best friend. 'We make a perfect pair,' he thought. He stumbled. 

"Whoa, what happened? You were doing great.” Sirius stopped in his tracks.

They stood inches apart, mouths slightly apart, breathing audibly. James stared into the warm, gray eyes, his arm still lightly encircling Sirius’ waist. And then something exploded in his brain, shattering a barrier that had always existed at the edge of his conscious thought. Involuntarily, his arm clenched, clutching Sirius tighter. James’ other hand let go of his partner’s, and plunged into the long, black mane, pulling Sirius’ head close. Sirius’ eyes widened in shock, alarm bells going off in his head, just as James kissed him. Sirius froze, feeling the warm, pliant lips of his best friend against his own, followed by the quick flick of a warm, inquisitive tongue. 

“James!” Sirius jerked his head away. James jumped back as if burned. Color flooded his cheeks, a torrent of words rushed out of his mouth as he headed for the door. “Oh, boy, look at the time I promised Lily I’d meet her in the Library and I’m already late I’ve gotta go, thanks, Sirius, you don’t mind if I don’t help you with the furniture, right, I’ll see you later…”

The door slammed shut, leaving Sirius staring at it, the music still swirling through the air. “What the hell was that?” He enquired of no one.


	2. Part 2

Dinner was an odd affair. Nothing seemed wrong, but the atmosphere was somehow not quite right. Remus noticed that James devoted all of his attention to Lily and barely spoke to anyone else. Sirius was uncharacteristically quiet and kept staring off into space. Peter, normally not the most intuitive of people, shot glances back and forth between the two. At one point he looked at Remus, eyebrows raised inquisitively. Remus gave him a small shrug.

It wasn’t until much later that Remus was able to corner Sirius in their dorm to find out what was up. Sirius stared at him for a long time, while expressions of concern, amusement, irritation and embarrassment warred with each other across his face. Finally, he ran his hands back through his hair. The gesture seemed to order his thoughts even while it made his appearance shaggier. “Prongs kissed me this afternoon,” Sirius said, and then related the gist of the story to a startled Remus.

“He’s obviously uncomfortable about it and I’m not sure what to do. Do I pretend it didn’t happen? Do I take him aside and tell him not to worry about it? Do I wait for him to say something?”

Anxiety clenched a fist around Remus’ heart. What did this mean? To Remus’ knowledge, James had never shown the slightest sexual interest in his own gender. And while he accepted and supported Remus and Sirius as a couple, he always appeared ill at ease whenever he witnessed any physical displays of affection between the two. Had he been harboring some deep-seated attraction for Sirius, his friend from early childhood? Remus felt the fist release him, only to be replaced by angry possessiveness.

“Let me get this straight. You danced, he pulled you to him and kissed you.”

“Right.”

“Did his hands stay in one place or did they…um…travel?” Remus tried to keep his voice and expression neutral, although the thought of someone else’s hands touching, exploring, caressing his lover made his stomach muscles tighten with jealousy. He recalled the sight of James poised over Sirius in bed this morning, and the hair on the back of his neck rose like the hackles of the wolf. ‘Stupid stag.’ Visions of venison invaded his thoughts; venison stew, roasted venison, venison chunks skewered on a spit. He could smell the rich, wild scent and feel the flesh between his teeth…

“He had one hand against my back and the other in my hair. That’s as far as it went. Then, I pulled away and he ran babbling from the room.” Sirius’ eyes were wide and guileless. 

Somewhat mollified, Remus relaxed a bit and started thinking about the situation in which they all suddenly found themselves. After reflecting for a few moments, he hesitantly posed a question.

“Sirius, do you think James is in love with you?” 

“Don’t be absurd!”

“Are you sure? Don’t you remember this morning when he said he was yours forever?”

Sirius waved the thought away like an annoying insect. “He was drooling with incoherent thanks because I agreed to teach him how to waltz. James is in love with Lily.” The two boys stared at each other, although Remus noticed that Sirius seemed to be focusing on a point somewhere directly behind Remus’ head. His light eyes suddenly snapping back to regard Remus thoughtfully, Sirius said, “I honestly think he was carried away by dancing. The physicality of dancing.”

“That sounds a little too simple.”

But Sirius grew more enthusiastic about his theory. “No, it makes perfect sense. Picture it. Clumsy, flat-footed James actually moving fluidly around the room. Moving with a partner without trampling any toes. He’s probably never done that before. And dancing makes you feel good, moving in harmony with someone else, feeling their body close to you, guiding their movements, reading the play of muscles under your hands. When you stop moving, you naturally want to keep that feeling.”

Remus smiled knowingly. “Well, you certainly do. Dancing is some sort of elaborate foreplay for you.”

A sly smile slowly crept across Sirius’ handsome features. “You know how it is, Moony. Dancing is a big tease. And when the music stops, I hate to let go of the delectable body I’m holding close to me. I’d much rather pull him even closer. Like this.” His arms slid around Remus, slowly drawing the shorter boy against him. “And when you’re this close, I naturally have to…” His lips sauntered along Remus’ jaw on their way to other explorations. 

“Yes, yes, I know.” Remus pushed him away. “Can we please figure out what we’re going to do about this before you start mauling me?”

Sirius’ quicksilver mood suddenly turned somber. “I think I have to talk to him and let him know that I’m not angry or upset, just surprised.” 

“As long as you don’t kiss him again…”

“I’ll thank you to remember that **he** kissed me, not the other way around,” Sirius barked indignantly. A sudden thought blazed like a comet through his head. “Remus! You’re not jealous, are you?” 

“Of course not,” Remus replied unconvincingly.

Grabbing Remus’ hands, Sirius pulled him so they both plopped down on the edge of the bed. “James is my oldest and best friend and I don’t want to lose him. I’ll do almost anything to keep what we’ve built over the years.” He raised one of Remus’ hands to his lips and placed a gentle kiss on his palm. Then he leaned forward until their mouths were a breath apart. “James is my friend, but you’re my heart and soul, Remus. I feel as if I was created for the sole purpose of being with you. Nothing will change that. Nothing will separate us. Not ever.” 

Their lips met softly in a surprisingly chaste kiss. Remus smiled at the purity and innocence of that kiss, as if they had not yet spent glorious nights tangled together, twisted around each other, swathed in sweat-soaked sheets, spent and exhausted, but unable to sleep because of the fire each effortlessly aroused in the other. ‘He’s right,’ Remus thought. ‘Nothing will separate us. Except death. Or prison, I suppose.’ He grimaced at the absurdity of that thought.

“Go find James,” Remus said aloud, “and get this straightened out.”

Sirius leaped up from the bed and strode purposefully from the room. 

Taking the stairs two at a time, he bounded into the Gryffindor common room, causing everyone there to look up at the commotion. “Anyone seen Potter?” Sirius asked. 

He received several replies all of which indicated that James was with Lily. However, their exact location was open to question. They were in the Library, unless they were at the top of the Astronomy Tower, yet they planned on sneaking into the kitchens sometime before the midnight stroll by the lake. Sirius decided that he would wait for their return. As a practical maneuver, he began slowly, but surely, clearing the room by drifting from one group of students to another and annoying, teasing or otherwise making himself obnoxious to the point where everyone found it preferable to go to bed than to stay and take his abuse. Pleased with his efforts, Sirius settled in an oversized, lumpy chair in the corner of the room to await James’ return.

It grew to be quite late. A few couples returned and started to engage in lip-locked tongue wrestling and fumble-fingered groping, only to be interrupted by loud throat-clearing reverberating from the corner of the room. Once he had their attention, Sirius merely leered and settled himself more firmly in his chair, obviously prepared to watch whatever the boys and girls intended to do. That was enough to douse any hormonal surges in his housemates, and no one lingered very long in the common room.

The fire grew low as the night passed. Sirius dozed in his chair, unwilling to give up on his vigil. Finally, the portrait hole swung open on Lily’s and James’ return. Sirius snapped to attention just as James was about to give Lily a good-night kiss. He coughed. They spun around in surprise.

“Sirius! What are you doing?” sputtered Lily. 

“Waiting for James, actually.” Sirius replied calmly as he rose and approached them. “I’m sorry, Lil, but I need to talk to him about something private and it really can’t wait.”

Anger flashed in her emerald eyes. “Oh, of course. How silly of me. Why should I have any right to spend time with my boyfriend when handsome, charming Sirius Black needs to speak to him?” His mouth dropped open in surprise, as she rounded on him in a fury. “You are the most selfish prick I’ve ever met. Everyone has to dance to your tune, don’t they? You said you’d help James. You’re supposed to be his best friend. And, instead, you come on to him? What’s the idea, Black? Planning to fuck every guy in Hogwarts?”

“Lily – “ James interrupted, to no avail.

Her hands clenched in fists Lily continued. “And what about Remus? Does he know you want to screw James? You’re despicable!”

She glared up at Sirius, trembling with rage. He had gone quite still, his face completely blank, his eyes fixed not on the angry girl in front of him but on James’ mortified face. “Is that what he told you, Lily? That I came on to him?”

She snapped. Her hand flashed out and she slapped him hard across his face. “Look at me when you talk to me, damn you!”

His eyes met hers, and the look in them sparked a flicker of doubt at the back of her mind. She saw hurt in his eyes, as stark as the red print her hand had left on his cheek. He raised his eyes once again to James, and with a steely control she had never before seen in him, he repeated quietly, “I need to talk to James, Lily.”

Her anger dissipating, Lily’s glance ping-ponged back and forth between them. Suddenly unsure of herself and sensing the presence of something deeper than she had at first suspected, she abruptly headed toward the stairs to the girls’ dorm. “Talk all night, if you want to,” she sniffed, disappearing up the stairs.

As soon as the sound of her footsteps faded, James blurted out, “Sirius, I’m so sorry.”

In a voice barely above a whisper, the words fell from Sirius’ lips like splinters of ice, matched only by the chilly stare he fixed on James. “You’re sorry? Do you think that solves anything? You lied to your girlfriend about what happened. Now she thinks I’m capable of the worst sort of betrayal, as if I hold you all so cheaply that I can toss you aside like old clothes. Why, James?” 

James, unable to meet Sirius’ eyes, stared blankly at the floor. His lips parted, but no words came out.

Sirius continued in the same cold, deliberate fashion. “Because you’re so ashamed of a kiss that it’s easier to lie about it than to keep what happened to yourself? Because you’re afraid you’re attracted to men? Because kissing me was so revolting to you that you’ve convinced yourself that, of course, I made the first move? How did this become my fault? Remus and I must disgust you. I’m amazed you can sleep in the same room with us.”

Sirius turned to leave.

“No, Sirius, wait! Please! I know it’s my fault! I’ll fix this –“

“Fuck off, James. I really don’t want to hear it.”


	3. Part 3

To his surprise, Remus woke up alone. He had tired of waiting for Sirius to return from his rendezvous with James, and had gone to bed, fully expecting Sirius to join him sometime in the night. Rising quietly, he looked around the room to take a quick head count. The curtains were open around all the other beds, except Sirius’. However, James’ bed was neatly made, which led Remus to believe that James hadn’t slept there at all last night. 

Remus glanced at the curtains shuttered around Sirius’ bed. Cold dread swept over him. Could Sirius and James - ? No, it wasn’t possible. Cautiously he slipped one finger between the curtains to take a peek. 

There was only one body in the bed. The correct body. Remus grinned, and making no more sound than a mouse, shucked off his pajamas, and picked up his wand and a tube of lubricant. He slipped between the curtains, shutting them behind him, and gingerly slid under the covers. Sirius was curled with his back to Remus in a modified fetal position at the far edge of the bed. This was very odd. Normally, Sirius was a sprawler. He slept the way he lived, with complete abandon, arms and legs flung out, covering as much yardage as possible. Many a time Remus had awakened in the night with a feeling of imminent danger, only to realize that a sleeping Sirius had pushed him to the very edge of safety. A mere sliver of mattress was all that prevented him from an unceremonious drop to the floor. 

After meticulously muttering a silencing charm, Remus got rid of his wand and leaned over Sirius to look at his sleeping face. Sirius seemed tense, as if slumber granted him no rest. There was a frown line between the sleek, black brows, and the delicate skin under his eyes had the faint, bluish tinge of sleeplessness. ‘Things obviously didn’t go well last night,’ Remus thought with a twinge of worry. Well, perhaps he could make Sirius feel better.

Moving ever so slowly, Remus coiled around the still form. He nuzzled against a firm shoulder, feeling smooth skin against his cheek and lips, breathing in the lingering scent of citrus and cedar from Sirius’ soap. With infinite gentleness, he trailed his hands soothingly along the warm flesh of his lover. His touch was like a slow-running stream, rippling over every surface, meandering along every line of bone, every angle of joint, every plane of muscle. Long minutes passed. The touch became almost hypnotic to Remus as he gradually eased the deep tension from Sirius’ body. Inch by inch, the long legs straightened, the tall body relaxed and slowly leaned back into Remus, as if on some subconscious level, it recognized him as the source of comfort. 

Remus loved how the power of tenderness affected his mate. He loved how Sirius responded to him, even in sleep. Years later, in another place and another bed, as he would try to ease the troubled sleep of the physical and emotional wreck that was his lover, he would remember this moment. He’d remember this quiet Sunday morning shared by two young men on the verge of their adult lives, as his hands played over the gaunt ribs and bony shoulders of a man tucked defensively into a tight, defeated ball. And he would weep over the damage that had been done.

But, on this morning, Remus had no inkling of what lay in the future. His attention focused on the here and now. And here and now, a very attractive, quite naked body was his to explore. He wondered just how far he could go before Sirius woke up. Reaching down farther, his hand brushed lightly over the curly thatch of hair at his lover’s groin, feeling it spring back under his palm. His fingers met a half-aroused cock. He drew a single fingertip along its length and felt it bump up harder and higher into his hand, the way the spine of a cat reflexively curves into the hand that strokes it.

Smiling with anticipation, Remus shifted around to rise up and straddle Sirius’ legs. He closed his fist, feeling the growing heat in the ever more aroused shaft. Removing his hand, Remus bent his head down to tease the cock’s tip with his tongue, gradually enclosing it in his mouth to suck gently. Sirius stirred beneath him, his legs spreading, with a deep inhalation of breath and his dark head turning on the pillow. Remus slid several inches more into his mouth, caressing with his tongue, his fingers crawling like a spider around Sirius’ balls. 

“Mmmmm, Moony,” a throaty breath sighed, as Remus felt a lazy thrust of the hips below him. “Wake me up like this every day?” 

Remus managed to grin around the turgid flesh in his mouth, his hazel eyes heating to gold as he looked up at his lover’s face. Sirius had raised himself onto his elbows to watch Remus, his expression clouded with lust and sleep. Remus’ mouth and tongue closed tight around the throbbing cock, sucking hard as he drew back off it. 

“More?” he asked, watching Sirius throw his head back with a gasp, exposing the long neck. His hair cascaded like nightfall towards the pillow.

“Oh, God, yes…” he moaned, collapsing on the bed and giving himself over to his lover’s ministrations.

Remus, his lips curled in to cover the sharp edges of his teeth, inched his mouth slowly down the rigid shaft. He settled into a steady rhythm, sliding up and down. Firm swipes of his tongue alternated with gentle bites from his sheathed teeth, wringing choked, mewling cries from the back of Sirius’ throat. Hands slid into his hair on either side of his head, holding him tight as his lover’s insistent hips thrust up towards him. Towards his mouth, that steaming vortex of suction that drove Sirius mad, panting and writhing, until he came with a flood of hot seed deep into Remus’ throat.

Remus clambered atop Sirius, his own desire now more urgent, a demanding erection trapped between their bodies. He grabbed a handful of black hair with one hand, even as the other sought out the lubricant.

Looking at Sirius, his hoarse voice coughed out, “I love how you look after you come.” 

“You make me,” Sirius panted back, his arms pulling Remus tight to him. Their mouths locked together and their tongues battled, even as Remus’ slick fingers slowly wormed their way into Sirius’ body, twisting in gentle explorations. Remus drew himself up slightly, eyebrows raised in question. Sirius nodded, whispering, “Ready.” 

Remus rose to a crouch, his hands urging Sirius to turn over. Sirius shoved the pillows underneath his own hips before settling face down, arranging his body to give Remus the angle he wanted. Grasping his lover’s hips, Remus eased into the tight passage, feeling it open to him, adjust to him, an indescribably hot, smooth glove enclosing him. His easy thrusts gradually came quicker, harder, longer, plowing deep into the body below him. His breath came in shallow, rhythmic grunts timed to his movements. Hands, he felt hands sliding up his thighs to rest on his hips. They stayed there, not controlling, not demanding, just connecting, another bridge joining the two. Remus pressed his face in the curve of Sirius’ neck, his breath forming words. “Mine, mine, all mine, love, all mine.” 

His hips bucking faster and faster, Remus hurtled towards his release and came in a shuddering climax, his teeth sinking into Sirius’ shoulder, marking him as he had done countless times before. He sunk down on his mate, his arms sliding around to hold him in tender possession. The sound of Sirius’ voice reached him from a distance. “All yours, I’m all yours.”

They lay quietly, coming back down to normal. Finally, Sirius stirred. “Let me turn over.” Remus raised himself up just long enough for Sirius to flip over to face him, then once more stretched himself down on Sirius. Their arms and legs entwined around each other. Their mouths met in deep, wet kisses. They tasted of sex. They smelled of sex. They were sex.

Remus’ silencing charm muffled noises coming through the curtains from the room around them. So much so that neither of them registered the sounds of the dorm room door opening and closing, or the determined footsteps crossing the floor towards them. Swept up in the sensations of each other’s bodies, neither felt the presence of an intruder. Blazing sunlight suddenly flooded their cocoon as the curtains were flung back. Startled almost out of their skins, the lovers twisted around to stare at the person looming over them.

“Sirius, you’ve got to listen – “ James’ forceful voice wavered and died as cold realization hit him. A stunned silence fell. James twisted away, averting his eyes. “Sorry, I didn’t think-“

“Bloody right, you didn’t think!” Sirius exploded from the bed like a heat-seeking Bludger, leaving Remus flailing for balance at the edge of the mattress. Before James could react, Sirius had spun him around, jammed his shoulder hard into James’ chest and propelled him backwards until he slammed into the wall at the other side of the room. He pinned James against the stone. “What the fuck is wrong with you!?” Sirius shouted into his face. 

James offered no resistance. His glasses hanging from one ear and the tip of his nose, James tried to focus on the furious face inches from his own. “I came to apologize and try to make you see - ”

Sirius’ rage ratcheted up several more notches. “Make me see?! See what? See you try to get out of this? See what other lies you’ve told?” Each question was punctuated with vigorous shakes of James’ body, thumping him into the wall.

James doggedly tried again. “Sirius, please, listen to me.”

Remus had hastily thrown a robe on and now stood behind Sirius. Holding a second robe in one hand, he placed the other on Sirius’ arm. “Let him go, Sirius,” he said, offering the robe with a gesture.

Breathing hard, Sirius held still, glaring daggers at James and ignoring the proffered garment. Finally he eased back enough to allow James to adjust his glasses. Sirius’ face came into focus and inwardly, James flinched. He’d rarely seen this level of rage in Sirius, and never before had it centered on him. Looking earnestly at Sirius, the words James had spent hours rehearsing suddenly deserted him. He tried to find his way through the thicket of his emotions, and immediately veered off course. “Sirius, it’s not like you don’t have a certain reputation…”

With a strangled growl, Sirius yanked James forward with one fist, while the other curved up in a neat hook. It connected solidly with James’ jaw, sending him sprawling across his bed. 

“Sirius!” Remus shouted, lunging at Sirius from behind, reaching around to grab onto his arms tightly. The strength of the werewolf barely enabled him to wrestle the taller boy backwards away from the bed. 

“Stop this now!” Remus yelled again. James remained motionless, his face a picture of perfect misery. Sirius twisted and struggled in vain trying to shake Remus off. He eventually gave up, although Remus refused to let go until he was sure Sirius’ fury had abated.

Once Sirius had control of himself, Remus released him and picked up the robe. He shoved it into Sirius’ hands. Not taking his eyes off James, Sirius slipped the robe on. James cautiously sat up, wincing as he rubbed his aching jaw. Sirius started talking in a low, dangerous snarl. “So, now it’s my slutty reputation that’s to blame, is it? Were you hoping I’d be an easy lay for you? What’s the matter, James, not getting any from Lily?”

James stared up at him with a look of hurt confusion. “No. No. I’m sorry. None of this is your fault. I keep screwing up what I’m trying to say.” He looked from one face to the other. “Will you listen to me?”

Remus sat on the edge of the next bed and pulled Sirius down next to him. “James, Sirius told me that the dancing lesson he gave you ended abruptly because you ran out of the room after you kissed him. Is that true?”

“Yes,” James said miserably. “And don’t ask me why I did it. I don’t know why. The kiss, I mean. It just happened. It seemed like the most natural thing to do right at that second.”

Sirius shook his head. “Try again, James. There’s a reason why. Maybe more than one.” 

Remus watched them stare at each other. Sirius had no intention of letting James slide off the hook easily. James realized it, too. With some discomfort, he tried once more to explain. “I think I kissed you because I felt good. I remember thinking how well-matched we seemed to be when we were dancing, that we made a perfect couple.” James stopped, manifestly hoping he wouldn’t have to say more. Sirius was silent, obviously waiting for more. Drawing his shoulders back, James sat up straight and looked determinedly at Sirius. “For a long time I’ve wondered what it felt like to kiss a guy. Seeing you and Remus together made me even more curious. If I was ever going to kiss any guy, it would be you, not some stranger. Not because I want to go to bed with you, because I don’t. But, because I know you and trust you.”

James sighed and wearily rubbed his fingers against his temples. “So, yesterday, when we were standing so close…I didn’t plan it. I didn’t think about it. I just did it. If I had stopped to think, I wouldn’t have. But I did, and as soon as I started kissing you, one part of my mind was screaming at me to stop. Then I felt your whole body go rigid and you pulled away and I was so mortified that I had to get out of there.”

Sirius nodded, still returning James’ gaze. “What did you tell Lily?”

“I ran into her almost the second I got back here and she could see something was really bothering me. I put her off, but she noticed that I hardly spoke to you guys at dinner and she kept coming back to it again and again, worrying at it. It disturbs her if she thinks things aren’t right between us, you know. So, I told her about the dancing lesson and I hoped she would believe that I was embarrassed by that fact alone. I guess I’m not a very good actor because she didn’t fall for it. She started asking questions about us dancing and I knew she was going to pin me down eventually. I felt I had to say something that would really shock her to get her to back off.” 

He paused, his gaze dropping to the floor. “I should have told her the truth. That I kissed you.

But, I didn’t have the guts. And, I knew if I didn’t her give an explanation, she’d eventually ask you about it. So I said the first thing that sprang into my mind. I said you came on to me. I thought she’d pass it off as just another Sirius stunt. I didn’t realize she’d get so angry.”

James looked apologetically from Sirius to Remus and back. “She was angry that you’d try to seduce me. But what made her really furious was the thought that you’d be hurting Remus.”

Sirius turned to look at Remus. “In other words, you figured that my tarnished reputation could handle a little more dirt. And you didn’t stop to think that, since I’ve already hurt Remus badly once, Lily might consider that I could do it again.”

James looked pleadingly at Sirius. “I’m sorry. I’m going to talk to Lily as soon as I see her this morning, and she’ll probably rip my head off. I know I don’t have the right to make any demands but, please don’t be angry with her. She’s going to feel awful about the things she said to you last night. Lily kept telling me that she couldn’t believe you would do this to Remus after what happened last year with Snape. She didn’t want to believe it, but…But I gave her enough rope to hang you with.”

With a heavy sigh, Sirius responded pensively. “Yeah, well, she was right, wasn’t she? I won’t ever hurt Remus like that again. When you take advantage of someone’s trust, you’ve got to work like hell to get them to believe in you. It’s a nice, little ironic twist - the only way you can rebuild trust is to ask the person you’ve wronged to risk himself by trusting you.” He looked from Remus to James and back. “It was bad enough the first time the three of us had to deal with that. Let’s not do it again.” 

Remus shifted closer to Sirius, sliding an arm around his shoulders. James watched as the other two stared into each other’s eyes, unspoken messages flickering back and forth. Remus withdrew his arm, and, looking down at his hands, asked quietly, “Sirius, do you forgive James?”

“Yes, “ Sirius answered with no hesitation. 

James sagged with relief. He was sure that, had he not been seated, his knees would have been wobbling.

“And, James?” The somber tone in Sirius’ voice made James catch his breath. “I’m sorry I punched you.”

With a sharp exhale, James grimaced. “I deserved it. You can both feel free to thump me whenever I get out of line.”

A small smile appeared on Sirius’ face. “Well, if you screw up that waltz, Remus will hold you down and I’ll pummel you senseless.”

All three of them chuckled, and any lingering tension in the room vanished.

James shook his head disbelievingly. “How could something as small as a kiss make everything so complicated?”


	4. Part 4

In an unspoken , but tacit agreement, Remus and Sirius spent the day keeping to themselves. They ended up in a tiny nook in the corner of the Library at Remus’ insistence that they devote some of their time to studying. Remus happily dug an armful of books out of his pack, while Sirius dallied, preferring to stare out the window rather than study. Two figures in the distance caught his eyes. “Uh oh,” he muttered. 

Remus looked up. “What’s wrong?” Sirius merely thrust out his chin toward the window in a silent command to take a look. Remus joined him and for the next several minutes they read the increasingly unhappy body language of James Potter. He was standing in front of Lily, who was absolutely motionless, but with a rigid set to her stance and an unblinking stare on her face. James paced, his arms waved, he pointed, his hands rose beseechingly. The pantomime lasted a good long while, punctuated by the occasional question from Lily. James’ actions finally came to a halt, and he stood, head bowed, obviously contrite, and awaited Lily’s response.

Lily started speaking, her lips moving rapidly. One hand shot up. She poked James repeatedly in the middle of his chest to emphasize her points. His bones bent in unaccustomed ways to create a hieroglyph of misery. Finally, Lily spun away from him and stormed back towards the castle. As she got closer, Sirius and Remus could see there were tears running down her cheeks, but whether they were tears of anger or sorrow was hard to tell.

Dinner again had an off-kilter atmosphere. Lily did not sit anywhere near them, and pointedly did not look in James’ direction. James was moodily quiet, leaving Sirius and Remus to act as normal as possible. Peter’s eyes darted between James and Lily, and finally, he demanded to know what was going on. Sirius kicked him under the table. 

Monday brought the comfortable routine of classes, although Lily still ignored James and kept her distance from the other Marauders. Their rift had become noticed by others, and, inevitably, students started gossiping about the apparent break-up of the Head Boy and Girl. Gossip had to come up with its own explanations, as none of the four people who knew what was going on had anything to say. 

It wasn’t until Wednesday afternoon that a tiny crack appeared in Lily’s demeanor. As the Gryffindors were leaving Transfiguration, their last class of the day, she waited in the hallway. When James and his friends came through the door, Lily quietly asked Sirius if she could speak to him alone. As he followed her back into the deserted classroom, Sirius smiled encouragingly at James.

Lily turned to face Sirius, a sad, worried frown on her face. “I owe you a huge apology, Sirius. James explained to me what really happened between you two and I want you to know I’m sorry for the way I reacted Saturday night.”

“Lily, it’s okay –“

“No, it’s not okay! You don’t do that to people you care about! I’m still so angry with James for deliberately misleading me. But, I was also too quick to blame you.” She started pacing back and forth in front of him. “I kept telling James that I couldn’t believe you would do this. Grrrr! He’s such an idiot!”

“Lil, he screwed up. He’s not going to do anything like that again.”

A fiery glint sparked from her eyes. “Well, he’s got his work cut out for him now. Anyway, I’m sorry, Sirius. I’m sorry for believing badly of you, I’m sorry for saying all those horrible things, and I’m sorry I slapped you. I saw the look in your eyes after that, and I just knew there was more going on than I realized. And James looked so upset, too. If what he said had been true, he’d have been **angry** with you. And he wasn’t. I should have known.”

“Forget about it. You’re forgiven. It’s over and done with.”

She smiled up at him ruefully, and then suddenly started digging through her book bag. Finally, she found what she sought. Thrusting a small, gift-wrapped package into his hands, Lily said, “Here. This was originally going to be your graduation present, but I want to give it to you now as a peace offering.”

Sirius took the package with a smile, eyebrows raised questioningly. “This is completely unnecessary.”

Lily grinned back at him. “Just open it.”

He tore off the wrappings to reveal a book titled “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.” 

“Lily! I thought you disapproved of my motorcycle.”

“I do. I **know** you’re making magical adjustments that will only increase the danger of riding it. You’re going to kill yourself, I just know it. I’ve already told James that if he rides on that thing with you, he’d better not tell me about it.”

Sirius refrained from commenting and merely started flipping through the book.

“It’s a Muggle book and it’s not meant as a practical guide at all. It’s really a journal of discoveries the author made about himself while traveling across America on his motorcycle. For some reason, it reminded me of you.”

“Thanks, Lily. I’m sure I’ll enjoy it. Maybe I’ll be inspired. James and I could take a couple of weeks after graduation to zip around the UK on my bike.”

“Oh, no. You two will be sure to get into trouble if Remus and I aren’t there to keep you under control. I love James too much to have him risk breaking his –“ Her mouth snapped shut and she glared at Sirius.

He merely smiled his most charming, engaging smile back at her. “Ah, yes, James. Admit it, Lil, you can’t stay mad at him forever. You **are** still going with James to the dance, aren’t you?”

“I was thinking of turning him down…”

“No! You have to go with him!”

“Why? He deserves to suffer a little, don’t you think?”

“Well, of course. But, believe me, he **is** suffering and we’ve had about all we can take. He’s making us miserable with his moping and whining. ‘Do you think Lily will still go to the dance with me? What if she breaks up with me? How will I live?’ It’s bloody pathetic. Besides, I’d hate my dancing instructions to go to waste.”

Lily smiled. “I’ll let him dangle for another day or so before I officially forgive him.”

Sirius cocked his head at her with an appraising gleam in his eyes. “You know, the two of you really should practice that waltz a few times before Saturday.”

“Why? I thought you said he could handle it.”

“He can, but he’s used to a tall partner. If he can’t adjust his steps to yours, he’ll end up dragging you around like a sack of laundry. You have many wonderful qualities, Lily Evans, but your legs can’t compare to mine.”

“James seems to think my legs are just fine, thank you!” She huffed indignantly. 

Sirius snickered. “Oh, I’m sure. I just meant that my legs are longer than yours.”

She smiled, “Fine. I’ll forgive him, practice with him and save you all from his whinging. Are we still friends?”

“You bet.”

Rising to her full height, Lily grabbed his shoulders and pulled him down to kiss him on the cheek. “Good.”

Saturday finally arrived and the castle fairly buzzed with anticipation of the evening’s dance. James and Lily had officially made up and, according to the Slytherins, were once again the most nauseating couple in the school. Peter drove them all mad as he repeatedly kept asking the time, as if repetition would make the hands of the clock move faster. Sirius had shown a distinct tendency to disappear at odd points during the past few days. Remus was sure he was planning something, but when he asked, Sirius would only smile mysteriously and say. “You’ll see…”

Finally, the hour arrived for final pre-dance preparations. A freshly showered Remus slowly put on his dress robes, ignoring Peter’s excited babble about his date and James’ muttered imprecations at his hair. Sirius had vanished about an hour ago. Remus looked down at the new robes his parents had given him for Christmas. The fabric was unlike anything he had ever felt. It was cool and smooth like silk, but so light and insubstantial it felt like he was wearing a cloud. Unfortunately, it was brown. Boring, old brown. Well, they’d still be the best-looking couple at the dance because Sirius was sure to be wearing something beautiful. 

‘Where is he, anyway?’ Remus thought to himself somewhat irritably. He turned to walk towards the door and stopped as he realized that his roommates were staring at him, their mouths agape. “What?” he asked, looking down quickly to make sure there weren’t any spots or stains or holes that somehow had escaped his notice.

“You look gorgeous,” Peter breathed. “That robe…it’s amazing!” Beyond him, an equally impressed James nodded.

Looking down at himself, Remus moved towards them and finally noticed what had caught their eyes. The fabric. It changed, gleamed, shimmered with his movements as if it came alive in response to his body. It wasn’t plain brown anymore. It rippled like ripe stalks of wheat, it poured over his shoulders like honey, its shadows were teak and mahogany, it adorned him with amber and gold. Remus’ lips formed a small ‘oh’ of surprise. 

There was a sudden knock on the door. Opening it, Remus found a smiling Lily holding out a small envelope. “Special delivery for Mr. Remus Lupin.” She slid the envelope into his hands and left. 

Remus opened the flap and a charmed slip of parchment flew out to dance in front of his eyes. He caught a whiff of leather and musk and saw writing in Sirius’ distinctive hand.

“My preparations are complete. Meet me at 8:00 in front of the Great Hall. 

Love, Sirius.”

The parchment disintegrated into a whirl of shooting stars and then vanished with a puff of smoke.


	5. Part 5

At 8:00 precisely, Remus stood by the doors to the Great Hall. He quickly looked inside in search of his errant lover, and his mouth dropped open in an expression of pure delight. The Hall was filled with flowers and greenery. Hundreds of small, round bouquets of blossoms floated in the air, glowing with magical light from within. Huge urns containing flowering trees and shrubs twinkling with fairy lights were scattered throughout the room. Large, round, cloth-covered tables were situated in cozy groups around the perimeter of the room, leaving plenty of space in the center for dancing. Garlands and ropes of intertwined flowers flowed down the walls and hung from every conceivable corner. Even the floor appeared to be covered with a carpet of grass. The entire room glowed like a garden on a spring morning. 

Remus stayed by the doors, greeting students and teachers as they arrived, aware that he was attracting more than his fair share of admiring glances. The eyes he most wanted looking at him, however, were nowhere to be seen. His gaze constantly scanned the stairs and corridors, seeking the tall, black-haired form of his lover. “What a delectable morsel you are, Remus Lupin!” breathed a quiet voice into his ear. Remus spun around to find a laughing Sirius Black standing behind him. 

“How long have you been here?” Remus asked.

“Long enough to see the looks you’re getting from everyone. You’re absolutely stunning, love.”

Remus snorted. Sirius continued, neatly forestalling Remus’ comment. “And, no, it’s not just the robe.” 

His blue-gray eyes seemed to drink in every aspect of the vision in front of him. 

Remus returned the stare, and had to remind himself to breathe, as Sirius quite literally took his breath away. His robe was the color of deepest midnight blue with a faint celestial pattern of glittering stars that appeared when Sirius moved and vanished when he stood still. Oh, but, when he moved, his body seemed adorned with stardust that reflected in his stormy eyes, as if he was a constellation that had just stepped out of the night sky. 

Moistening his lips with a quick flick of his tongue, Remus murmured, “You’re quite the tasty-looking treat, yourself.”

Sirius leaned in as if to whisper something into Remus’ ear. His tongue gently traced an earlobe before he growled, “I have plans for you, my wolf.”

A shiver of hot anticipation ran through Remus’ body. Before he could reply, a voice rang out.

“Attention! Attention, please!” Headmaster Dumbledore boomed. “Welcome, one and all, to the May Dance! Would you please welcome our entertainment for the evening? The Glynbourne Chamber Group will perform music for traditional wizard and ballroom dances. And the Raging Cursebreakers will be along later to damage your eardrums.” A roar of approval erupted from the crowd. 

“Now, please stand back and let our fine Quidditch Captains and their escorts begin the festivities!”

The crowd of revelers parted, allowing the four pairs of students to make their way towards the center of the Great Hall. The music started, and Sirius grabbed Remus’ hand to drag him towards an empty spot at the back of the dance floor. “We can’t let James see us staring at him. It’ll make him nervous,” Sirius explained. 

Peering out towards the dancers, Remus was pleased to see that James and Lily looked as if they had been waltzing for years. They moved smoothly and confidently around the floor. After a while, other couples joined in, creating a spinning whirl of colors. Remus glanced at Sirius and saw that he was ignoring his erstwhile dancing pupil. Instead, he was giving a hard, critical stare at the old, unused musicians’ gallery that was located high over the space normally occupied by the professors’ table. The Marauders had attempted a number of times over the years to break the locking charms on the door that lead to the gallery, but never with any success. 

“What are you looking at?” Remus asked. 

Sirius snapped his head around to look at Remus. “Oh, nothing, really. Just the flowers draping the balustrade up there.”

He sounded just a tad too innocent. Remus’ gaze changed quickly from curiosity to suspicion. “What are you up to?”

Sirius grinned the mischievous grin that caused all of his professors to wince internally whenever they saw it. “Let’s dance.” 

Remus allowed himself to be pulled onto the dance floor, knowing full well that he’d get no further information. Instead, he surrendered to the vital, life-affirming force that was Sirius Black as they took their place among the dancers. For perhaps the millionth time in his life, Remus gave thanks to whatever deity might be listening for the gift of this fascinating, beautiful creature. Sometimes Remus thought that Sirius was not from this world, but had wandered into his life from some other universe. Watching the play of light on Sirius’ robes made Remus feel like he was holding the Milky Way in his arms as he danced.

And, dance they did. Remus spent a lot of time on the dance floor with Sirius, but also ended up dancing with quite a few other people, as did Sirius. They finally met up near the drinks table. Remus decided to sample the punch, while Sirius opted for butterbeer. They joined a cluster of other students, all of whom needed to catch their breaths. Remus stood at the edge of the circle of students. Sirius positioned himself a bit in front of Remus, chatting a mile a minute with several people, juggling multiple conversations at the same time with his own particular brand of verbal acrobatics. 

A hand suddenly brushed against Remus’ leg and clamped tight against his upper thigh. It gripped him firmly through his robes and trousers, unerringly knowing exactly where to find that certain part of his anatomy. Remus stood straight and motionless. He knew that if he tried to twist away, the pull of Sirius’ hand on his robes would be obvious to everyone. Trying to hide the sudden stiffening of his posture, Remus leaned towards Sirius to speak quietly into his ear. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Sirius ignored him, his eyes lighting on something in the distance. “Oh, look,” he said brightly. “Don’t Peter and Anne make a great couple?”

Having successfully directed everyone’s attention away from the discomfited werewolf, Sirius turned towards him, a charming naughtiness in his eyes. “Would you like to sit down for a while, Remus?”

They moved to a table, seating themselves on the far side, Sirius’ hand once more caressing Remus’ arousal. The other students drifted off, leaving them alone with their drinks. Remus immediately grabbed Sirius’ wandering hand firmly by the wrist. “You should stop this now.”

“Really? I’ve never given you a hand job in the Great Hall, at least not when there were lots of other people around. We may never have another chance.”

Remus’ logical brain firmly rejected this idea, but his hormonally-charged organs thought it made perfect sense. His heart-beat quickened, his breath started coming in shallow gasps and his cock began to feel uncomfortably restricted by his clothing.

Sirius’ lips twitched into a smile and he leaned in close, his agile fingers still teasing, his breath hot and moist, as he purred, “Of course, a hand job doesn’t quite satisfy, does it? It’s not wet enough. Or slippery enough. Fingers can’t do what my lips and tongue can do to you. What the back of my throat can do to you. You want me to use my mouth, don’t you? On my knees under the table? You like me on my knees in front of you, don’t you?”

Remus’ only answer was a choked whine shuddering through his parted lips.

Sirius stared into the rich hazel hues of his lover’s eyes, noting how they gleamed golden, as they always did when Remus was aroused. Sirius could almost see the feral presence of the wolf lurking in those eyes, wanting its mate. That hungry look, gripping him like strong, sweat-drenched hands, was powerfully erotic. Sirius felt Remus could bring him to orgasm just by staring at him. 

Glancing around quickly to make sure no one was paying them any heed, Sirius slid under the table. Remus gripped the edge of the table with both hands, as he felt clever, long fingers unfasten his robes and move on to his trousers. He spread his legs apart, giving Sirius more room to maneuver, staring all the while into his punch. This was madness, but he wanted, needed it so badly. Finally, his cock was freed from his clothing and now –

“Remus! Enjoying yourself? Where’s Sirius?”

Horrified, Remus looked up to see Peter and his date, Anne Crenshaw, sitting down on the opposite side of the table. He was barely able to stutter out an answer. “Y-y-yes! G-great! He’s eating or something.”

Remus felt rapid, huffing breaths blowing across the weeping tip of his cock, and a rhythmic shaking in the body between his legs. ‘Crazy bastard’s laughing at me!’ He thought murderously. A warm, moist tongue lapped down his shaft, only to be replaced by full lips kissing him with deep, wet, sucking kisses as they traveled slowly back up to the tip. Remus prayed neither Anne nor Peter could hear the slithery liquid sounds of those kisses.

Peter and Anne meanwhile began talking excitedly about the upcoming performance of the Raging Cursebreakers. Remus managed to smile and nod at appropriate places, not trusting his voice any more. 

The unseen devil’s mouth fastened around him, causing an involuntary tremor in his hips. Slowly, he felt his length draped, swathed, embraced by tongue and cheeks and palate, and then released, only to be swallowed again, deeper with each stroke. A low moan forced its way out of his lungs, unnoticed by the other two. Remus desperately kept still, although his body was screaming to thrust hard into the mouth savoring him.

Peter suddenly jumped up. “Hey, they’re coming out! C’mon!” And grabbing Anne’s hand, the two dashed out into crowd of students surging towards the bandstand. 

A loud, uncontrollable gasp erupted from Remus’ lips as his hands shot under the table to seize Sirius’ head, his grip and the motion of his hips demanding release. Sirius gave him what he wanted, taking him deep, swallowing in an undulating rhythm that brought him to the edge, sucking him relentlessly until he came, his scream unheard in the general mayhem which at that precise moment greeted the Raging Cursebreakers. 

Remus slumped in his chair, letting the feeling of completion wash over him. Music, played hard, fast and loud, rolled through the Hall, as the Cursebreakers launched into their first set. A hand suddenly appeared from under the table, making ineffectual grabs at something on top of the tablecloth. Remus shoved a napkin into the hand’s grasp. It vanished, whisking the napkin with it. Remus sat perfectly still, allowing himself to be dried off, and tucked securely back into place. He felt Sirius move away from him, and glancing down, saw the dark head emerge from under the tablecloth. Sirius raised one eyebrow at him. Looking quickly around, Remus nodded and Sirius promptly slid back onto his chair. With a toss of his head, he settled his hair back into place. He sipped some of Remus’ punch and wiped delicately at his lips with a fresh napkin. He reminded Remus of a satisfied cat, which, when done feasting on its prey, meticulously cleans itself off and gazes imperiously across its domain.

Sirius’ gaze swept the room and came to rest on Remus. He smiled and said something that was completely inaudible within the maelstrom of the music.

“WHAT?” Remus bellowed.

“I SAID, I’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO DO THAT!” Sirius roared.

Remus started chuckling, shaking his head in wonderment at his mate. ‘Some dreams shouldn’t be denied, even if they are completely daft.’

With one accord, they rose from the table and rejoined the crowd, Remus surreptitiously checking his clothing to make sure he was properly dressed. The party was going full force, the gyrating couples shaking and rocking in response to the driving beat and pulsing rhythms. Proper waltzes and precise folk dances had given way to the raw, primal, heady release of youth celebrating itself. No one seemed to keep their partner for long; everyone danced with whoever happened to be near them, and, for once, house allegiances made no difference. Sirius and Remus were separated by the swirl of the throng, each of them dancing with multiple partners for the better part of an hour.

At that point, the band took a break, giving everyone time to catch their breath and refuel with food and beverage. Sirius saw Lily and James across the room, standing with their arms about each other, flushed with happiness and exertion. And there were Peter and Anne, in a knot of other students, all talking animatedly. A pair of arms slid around him from behind and a chin rested on his shoulder. Sirius turned his head to catch Remus’ eye as the werewolf’s arms tightened around his waist. “Having fun, Sirius?”

“I’m having a great time. Makes me almost forget the other surprise I have for you.”

“There’s more? I suppose now you’re going to tell me that you’ve always wanted to fuck me on top of one of the tables in the Great Hall.”

“Well, of course, but that’s not the surprise. Although your sense of location is uncannily on target.” Turning in Remus’ embrace until they were face-to-face, Sirius locked his arms around Remus’ neck, pulling him close to place a lingering kiss on his lips. “Do you want to stay for the next set or should we sneak out for your surprise?”

Remus read the implicit promise evident in the turbulent eyes focused on him. “Let’s go. Lead me to perdition and have your way with me,” Remus intoned dramatically. 

They waited until the music began and then slipped unseen from the Hall. They ran a short way down the corridor until they came to a locked wooden door. “Alohomora!” Sirius commanded. Shutting the door behind them, Sirius grinned triumphantly at Remus. “I finally figured out how to get onto the old musicians’ gallery above the Great Hall. Come on!”

They ran down a hallway, up a narrow staircase and along another passage until they came to the door to the gallery that had defeated their efforts so often in the past. It, too, was wooden, with intricate carvings of musical instruments covering it. Cut across the top of the door were the words “Play, musician, and enter.” Surmising that the door really did want to hear music before it would open, the boys had brought numerous instruments with them to try to break the spell. A guitar, a flute, a horn. Once, Peter brought an odd Muggle object called a kazoo. All to no avail.

Now, placing the tip of his wand against the carved guitar in the middle of the door, Sirius murmured, “Auditorus.” The guitar became real, although it was still fixed firmly in the door. Clamping his wand in his teeth, Sirius placed both hands on the guitar and strummed a chord. With a loud click, the door unlocked. Sirius held up a hand, cautioning a delighted Remus to stand back. Pushing the door open just a bit, he carefully leaned in and, with a sweep of his wand, said, “Invisibilis!”

They stepped out onto the darkened gallery, which offered them a perfect bird’s-eye view of the activity in the Hall below them. The only light was provided by the floating bouquets. The gallery itself was small, about 20 feet long and ten feet wide, with a stone balustrade enclosing the space. It probably never been done up to look as it did that night. There were several small tables, with vases of flowers on them that matched the garland decorating the balustrade. On one of the tables rested two glasses and a bottle of gillyflower wine. But what really surprised Remus was the bed at one end of the gallery. It was covered in a deep moss-green quilt, piled high with pillows and overhung with a soft drapery of the same rich hue. 

Remus hardly dared to move. Turning to look at Sirius, he could only ask, “What? How?”

“Charms and spells, silly boy. This is a school of magic, after all. The whole gallery is surrounded by an invisibility shield. I just reinforced that spell. It should last well into tomorrow morning.”

“No one can see anything up here?”

“That’s right. Here, I’ll show you.” Hauling Remus with him to the edge of the gallery, Sirius began energetically waving his arms like some sort of demented, flightless bird. Remus instinctively shrank back, but then he noticed that even though there were many people looking in their direction, obviously no one could see them. Stepping back, Sirius indicated the furniture with a sweep of his hand. “They’re not real. I’ve conjured them for the night. That’s why I kept disappearing this week. I had to make sure that my spells were strong enough to last. I especially wanted to make sure the bed would exist for as long as we’d need it. I didn’t want to take any chances that it would suddenly vanish from underneath us in the middle of the night.”

With a look of affectionate wonderment on his face, Remus sat on the bed, patting the space next to him. When Sirius sat next to him, Remus reached out to frame Sirius’ face with his hands. “You are a fey, wild creature, Sirius Black. You’re also a hopeless romantic and the utterly enduring passion of my life.”

The antic grin faded from Sirius’ face. He looked earnestly at Remus. “I meant what I said to you last week. I was created to be with you. You are my heart and soul. And that’s a blessing beyond measure.”

Their lips met in a soft, tender kiss that slowly deepened, fanning flames of love and desire. Slowly they sank together on the bed, secure in each other. The music, the flowers, the presence of hundreds of other people, fell out of their consciousness. All that mattered was each other.

Headmaster Dumbledore stepped out of the Great Hall. The party would end soon, and he had a hankering for the serene silence of his room and perhaps a lemon drop or two before bed. The school year was coming to an end. He would miss some of these seventh year students a great deal. They were an inventive and lively lot, and he doubted he’d see their equals any time soon. Although Mr. Filch was undoubtedly pleased that Potter and his friends were leaving.

As if he had been summoned, Dumbledore saw Mr. Filch about to head along the corridor that lead to the musicians’ gallery. “No need to check that corridor, Mr. Filch. You can be sure that if anyone had figured out how to get in, they would have done something noticeable during the festivities tonight.” With a grumble, Filch turned away and wandered up the stairs. 

What Dumbledore failed to mention was that he had indeed seen something noticeable. Not thirty minutes ago he watched Sirius Black wildly flapping his arms as he stood in the gallery next to an apparently speechless Remus Lupin. And he was quite positive that he also saw a rather inviting bed sitting against the wall behind the boys. Yes, he’d miss these students. Perhaps tomorrow he’d give himself a treat. He’d subtly remind Mr. Black of his ability to see through Invisibility Cloaks. Then he’d casually mention that this ability worked on Invisibility Spells, as well. Albus chuckled to himself. No doubt Sirius would manage to keep a look of innocent incomprehension on his face. But, Mr. Lupin’s fair skin would probably run through a veritable palette of pinks. 

Ah, yes, Remus Lupin. The Headmaster remembered the consternation from some of the professors when told of his decision to allow a werewolf to attend Hogwarts. He had no regrets. Remus had proved to be an intelligent, gifted and challenging student. Albus decided that this had been one of his best decisions. A shy, lonely young boy had found an outlet for his skills, his temperament and his talents. He had found acceptance and steadfast friendship. But, most important, he had also found love. In Albus’ opinion, there was nothing greater, not even lemon drops.

END


End file.
